Republican Senator Bob Corker rebuke of US President Donald Trump was ‘well thought out’

US Republican Senator Bob Corker arrives for a Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for ambassadorships, on Capitol Hill, June 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by AFP)

Republican Senator Bob Corker has stood by his harsh criticism of US President Donald Trump, saying his “thoughts were well thought out.”

Corker called the Trump White House "an adult day care center." He said Trump was leading the US toward "World War III." And he that Trump was treating the office of the president "like a reality show."

"Look, I didn't just blurt them out," Corker, who represents the state of Tennessee, told CNN on Monday. "My comments -- my comments, I stand by them -- yes."  

The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee said he had repeatedly tried to convey his concerns through private communications and meetings before he decided to speak out.

"Look I've been expressing concerns for some time and it's built over time. I've had private dinners, I've had private phone calls, I've tried to intervene on topics that I thought things were going in a different direction and are not going to be good for our country,” he said.

"This is not a new thing, it's been building for some time. And it's a pattern that I think we've fought and expressed for some period of time," he added.

A firm supporter of Trump during last year’s presidential election campaign, Corker turned against Trump after being shortlisted for both the vice president and secretary of state.

Corker, who has announced he is not going to seek re-election after 2018, publicly quarreled with Trump on social media last week.

He spared with Trump in a war of words over Twitter, saying "It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning."

Corker also criticized Trump’s response to the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, saying his lack of "stability and competence" threatens the country.

He said Trump needs to understand that he represents all Americans and his role in advocating hate is jeopardizing the US.

Corker also told The New York Times that he is not alone in thinking that Trump could put the country on the path toward "World War III.”

The senator also said that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and other top administration officials “help separate us from chaos.”